The Gauteng Traffic Police Spokesperson Sello Maremane has revealed that more than 200 fatalities were recorded on Gauteng roads during the festive season to date.
Following the road carnage, the Gauteng Traffic Police have appealed to road users to comply with road safety rules and regulations to save lives.
“Motorists are expected to drive into Gauteng province from various destinations resulting in high volumes of traffic after spending times on holidays and some engaging on business ventures.”
Major roads such as the N3 Durban to Johannesburg, N1 Polokwane to Pretoria, N4 Mpumalanga to Pretoria, The N4 Rustenburg to Pretoria and N1 Bloemfontein to Johannesburg are expected to be heavily congested throughout the whole day.
“We appeal to road users to adhere to road safety rules and regulations to avoid unnecessary crashes resulting in fatalities. Road crashes and fatalities contribute to the alarming rate of disabilities and deaths in the province. This is largely attributed to the attitude and behavior of road users such as unsafe overtaking, unsafe lane changing, over speeding, pedestrian jaywalking and lack of concentration by drivers. Substance abuse and vehicle fitness have also compounded the situation on our roads,” said Maremane.
Police were on high alert on Sunday as part of the integrated law enforcement to deal decisively with road traffic violations such as drunk driving, reckless and negligent driving, speeding, jay walking, freight overloading and roadworthiness.
Maremane states that the Police will also be conducting regular mobile testing operations focusing particularly on public transport and freight transport.
The Gauteng Traffic Police have offered the following safety tips to road users to ensure their safety:
• Drivers must ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy upon embarking on a trip.
• Drivers must always maintain a safe following distance.
• Drivers must switch on their headlamps when it is raining to enhance visibility.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol must be avoided at all costs.
• Drivers must consistently adhere to the prescribed speed limit.
